Edwards' 40-point performance powers Kennett past Kelly

KENNETT, Mo. — Alycee Edwards proved unstoppable in the second half, scoring 29 of her game-high 40 points after the break to lead Kennett to a 64-54 win over Kelly on Tuesday, Jan. 7.

Despite the Lady Hawks’ (4-4) strong start, Edwards’ scoring barrage helped the Lady Indians (6-5) overcome the early deficit and secure the victory.

“We started strong on the defensive end,” said Kelly coach Matthew Blissett. “But we struggled with the ball early on and took some time to catch our groove. You could definitely tell we had been on a break and not used to games, which is to be expected after being off almost two full weeks.”

Kelly raced out of the gate with a quick tempo, racing to a 15-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Cecily Hall and Kaylee Still were key contributors to the early advantage, scoring all of the Lady Hawks’ opening quarter points. However, Kennett answered in the second quarter, with Edwards starting to heat up, and the teams went into halftime tied at 28-28.

“The theme was to weather the storm offensively,” Blissett said.  “I believe that defense is the most consistent part of basketball. We can't rely on offense to win us games we have to push a defensive-minded mentality.”

Edwards, who had been relatively quiet in the first half, erupted after the break, scoring 29 points in a dominant second-half performance that shifted the momentum in favor of the Lady Indians.

As Edwards took over, Kelly struggled to maintain its early defensive success. The Lady Hawks had difficulty finishing defensive stops with rebounds, a theme Blissett identified as a key area for improvement moving forward.

“Going forward, we have to work on staying consistent throughout the game finishing defensive stops with the rebound,” he said. “But we’ve been running the floor hard in transition.”

Hall finished with 15 points, and Still added 14. Blissett expressed confidence in his team’s potential as they move forward into the second half of the season.

“The girls work hard for me, and I’m very pleased with the effort,” Blissett said. “Now we have to shift our mindset to consistency throughout the game and work toward our finished product.”

The loss snapped the Lady Hawks’ two-game win streak, but the team’s improvement in recent games remains a positive takeaway.

Kelly travels to Saxony Lutheran (3-6), while Kennett will host Malden (8-2) on Thursday, Jan. 9.

__KENNETT 64, KELLY 54__

Kelly 15 13 14 10 — 54

Kennett 7 21 23 13 — 64

Kelly (54) — Cecily Hall 15, Kaylee Still 14, Peyton Ratley 8, Paige Klipfel 7, Rylee Burns 7, Blaire Riley 3. FG: 21. FT: 11-17. F: 8. (3-pointers: Klipfel 1. Fouled out: None.)

Kennett — Alycee Edwards 40, Brooklyn Edwards 14, Anekia Famer 5, Jaimie Woods 3, Jayla Ellis 2. FG: 26. FT: 3-4. F: 14. (3-pointers: Edwards 8, Woods 1. Fouled out: None.)